Dalit-Muslim Unity Need of the Hour, Says Rights Activist P.K. Abdul Ghafour, Arab News JEDDAH — An Indian human rights activist has called for the unity of Dalits, Muslims and other minorities in the country in order to promote communal harmony, achieve all-round development and put an end to exploitation by high-caste Hindus. "The unity of Muslims, Dalits and other backward communities, who constitute about 85 percent of the country's population, can bring about dramatic changes in Indian politics," said V.P. Shamsuddin, director of Bahujan Sahitya Academy, and a correspondent of Dalit Voice, an international human rights magazine in English published from Bangalore. He said Brahmins and other high-caste Hindus (known as Savarnas) accounted for only 15 percent of the country's population. "Brahmins consider Dalits and other backward classes as untouchables. They treat them like sub-humans perhaps animals," he told Arab News. *Shamsuddin, who was born in an aristocratic Nair family in Kerala's Kannur district, embraced Islam three years ago. His former name was Prabhakaran. He has been a staunch opponent of the caste system and spent his time with Muslim and Dalit friends in the neighborhood. * He described the caste-based Brahminism as the mother of racism and fascism in the world. "Dalits and other backward classes are not included within the four-fold caste system that is Hinduism. But they exploit Dalits to make political gains." Brahmins wanted to create enmity between Muslims and Dalits as they fear that Dalits would embrace Islam, impressed by its teachings of equality and fraternity and that their unity would affect their vested interests. Before becoming a Muslim in 2004, Prabhakaran had tried to unite Muslims and Dalits. He arranged a meeting between Dalit leader Kanshi Ram, who founded the Bahujan Samaj Party of Uttar Pradesh, and Abdul Nasser Maadani in Kerala. But that meeting did not yield tangible results due to the intervention of Brahminical forces. Prabhakaran was not happy with the life and attitude of high-caste Hindus in his own family toward Dalits and other backward people. This made him an atheist. He later became a disciple of Periyar E.V. Ramasamy, the father of Dravida politics in India. "Ramasamy once said that Islam is the only religion that can liberate Dalits and other backward communities of India from the clutches of Hindus. His words about Islam had left its deep imprints in my mind and it encouraged me to study more about this wonderful religion," he said. Prabhakaran's close relation with Muslims during his school and college days also helped him get accustomed with Islamic culture and traditions. He has been working as a correspondent for Dalit Voice since 1983. The journal, he says, is distributed in universities and research centers in nearly 100 countries. Shamsuddin is not happy with the un-Islamic lifestyle and attitude of Muslims, saying it would give a bad impression about Islam. "When we look at the present lifestyle of Muslims we feel that they themselves have not imbibed the greatness of Islam," he said when asked why non-Muslims do not accept Islam even after knowing that it is the ultimate truth. He said a lot of changes have taken place in the lifestyle and behavior of Muslims in recent years. "In the past, Muslims were known for punctuality, honesty and trustworthiness as well as for their uncompromised stand against injustice. We can easily identify a person who follows Islamic ethics. Credibility is a must to achieve the confidence of others." The Samuthiri rulers of Kerala had encouraged people living in the coastal areas of the state to embrace Islam after knowing that Muslims are trustworthy, courageous and loyal and that they are a people whom are dependable, he pointed out. Shamsuddin also observed that Muslims' attention has been diverted from issues to non-issues as a result of a lack of awareness about their important role in society. Print and electronic media and movies, have played a big role in this respect. He said he has been watching the cultural and moral degradation of Muslims with great shock and dismay. "Islamic values are being eroded because of Brahmnical influences and that is why now a days Muslims in India have become a kind of Hindus with beards and caps in many aspects," he lamented, and urged Muslims to return to the teachings of the Qur'an and the Sunnah. *Muslims all over India are trying to get good certificate from their oppressors by trying to portray themselves as secular without following the fundamentals of Islam, he added. "We waste our money without caring about the poor and needy. We could have used that money for feeding the poor and building houses for them. I believe that Islam is not only a vision but also a mission." * *A close relative of the late A.K. Gopalan, a prominent Communist leader, Shamsuddin criticized the party for supporting high-caste Hindus and their hidden agendas. He described the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPM) as an upper caste Hindu organization. "Thirteen of its 15 Polit Bureau members are high-caste Hindus. It was founded by a Brahmin named M.N. Roy," he said, adding that the party had taken extreme stand against reservation of government jobs for Dalits and backward classes including Muslims. It was CPM, which introduced an economic criterion for reservation in government jobs and educational institutions in India. It destroyed the soul of reservation system aimed at uplifting the socially backward communities.* *Quoting a report published by Mathrubhoomi daily, Shamsuddin said E.M. Sankaran Namboothirippad, a veteran Communist ideologue, was the first to call for the demolition of Babri Masjid. "EMS had also opposed the Mandal Commission report, which proposed social, educational and economic uplift of backward classes including Muslims."* He said there was a well-planned move to destroy the identity of Indian Muslims, adding that the rightist, leftist and progressive parties are in the same boat in implementing this agenda. "Islam had its glorious era in Spain, which later saw the religion totally eradicated. The same experiments are now applied in India," he said. He also blamed CIA, Mossad and Brahmnical forces for the growing violence in India. Asked how he could help in promoting Islamic propagation among Hindus, Shamsuddin said he was ready to provide every support to Islamic organizations. "Muslim preachers must understand not only the text but also the context and I will be of use in making them understand the context while addressing various Hindu groups. We have to adopt different strategies for different groups and talk to them in a language they understand."
*Sidhique Poocholamad, <http://www.poocholamad.5u.com/>* -- 'Trust in God, but tie your camel first' - The Holy Prophet (pbuh) 'Knowledge is better than wealth, you have to look after your wealth, knowledge looks after you' - Imam Ali *** (O Controller of the hearts make my heart steadfast in Your religion).'' [At-Tirmidhi].
